Benton County Sheriff's Office Takes On Online Predators
By: Kyle Leyenberger
Updated: February 19, 2013
A new unit at the Benton County Sheriff's Office is taking on online predators, and investigators are off to a good start.
Two of the three members of Benton County Sheriff's Office Cyber-Crime unit are still in training, but just weeks after establishing an office.
The group made it's first arrest, and investigators say there are plenty more in the pipeline.
Sergeant Dennis Schumacher started investigating computer crimes at the Benton County Sheriff's Office nearly ten years ago.
"All I've been working on is being reactive," he says. "Other agencies bring me computers, I find the evidence for them."
But in January Sheriff Kelley Cradduck established a new cyber-crime unit, adding expensive equipment and two more members to Schumacher's arsenal.
"(Cradduck) worked in the school system, so he has a passion," says Major Shawn Holloway. "He is very on board with this and wants us to be the cutting edge that other agencies look to to protect our children."
"Now we are actively going out trying to find subjects that are sharing child pornography," Schumacher says.
But law enforcement agencies are behind the curve when it comes to online crime.
"We're just getting into it," he says. "The criminals have been using it for a while."
The new unit hit the ground running, almost immediately arresting a Springdale school bus driver they say was sharing child porn on the internet.
"We caught him right off the bat," Schumacher says. "When we brought the computers back here, just a quick overview, we found over 500 images."
He says that first arrest is just the beginning.
"We're gonna come get you," he says. "If you're sharing child pornography or you're preying on children we're coming to get you."
Two of the three members of Benton County Sheriff's Office Cyber-Crime unit are still in training, but just weeks after establishing an office.
The group made it's first arrest, and investigators say there are plenty more in the pipeline.
Sergeant Dennis Schumacher started investigating computer crimes at the Benton County Sheriff's Office nearly ten years ago.
"All I've been working on is being reactive," he says. "Other agencies bring me computers, I find the evidence for them."
But in January Sheriff Kelley Cradduck established a new cyber-crime unit, adding expensive equipment and two more members to Schumacher's arsenal.
"(Cradduck) worked in the school system, so he has a passion," says Major Shawn Holloway. "He is very on board with this and wants us to be the cutting edge that other agencies look to to protect our children."
"Now we are actively going out trying to find subjects that are sharing child pornography," Schumacher says.
But law enforcement agencies are behind the curve when it comes to online crime.
"We're just getting into it," he says. "The criminals have been using it for a while."
The new unit hit the ground running, almost immediately arresting a Springdale school bus driver they say was sharing child porn on the internet.
"We caught him right off the bat," Schumacher says. "When we brought the computers back here, just a quick overview, we found over 500 images."
He says that first arrest is just the beginning.
"We're gonna come get you," he says. "If you're sharing child pornography or you're preying on children we're coming to get you."
